Joe Biden has once again proven that, when it comes to pulling political stunts, he knows how to keep the country talking.
His latest? Only be described as a “pardon-palooza” of epic proportions along with his scandal-ridden son, Hunter Biden. On a Thursday morning, the outgoing president decided to go out with a bang, pardoning 39 individuals and commuting nearly 1,500 sentences.
Let’s start with Hunter. Biden’s move to pardon his son wasn’t exactly shocking; most Americans could have seen it coming from a mile away. It would have been far more surprising if Joe hadn’t shielded Hunter from accountability. After all, the Biden family has long treated the justice system as a tool for their own convenience.
What raised eyebrows, however, was the pardon’s extensive scope, covering nearly 11 years of potential legal jeopardy. Conveniently, it starts in January 2014—just before Hunter’s eyebrow-raising appointment to the Burisma board, back when Joe was vice president. Coincidence? Sure, and I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
But Biden wasn’t content to stop there. Thursday’s clemency spree included some truly head-scratching decisions, including the commutation of sentences for three Chinese nationals. The revelations about these particular individuals didn’t come out during the pardon-palooza itself but were uncovered after some digging into a quieter act of clemency from late November. Among them were Yanjun Xu, convicted of economic espionage; Ji Chaoqun, convicted of defrauding the U.S. and impersonating foreign agents; and Shanlin Jin, convicted of possessing 47,000 images of child pornography. Yes, you read that right—47,000.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
Joe Biden just provided a Chinese national with clemency who was convicted of having 47,000 child p*rnography images in his possession.
Shanlin Jin was sentenced to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty.
Plano police stopped going through his computer… pic.twitter.com/MeJKrGrkcx
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) December 12, 2024
So, what’s the rationale for these commutations? As it turns out, they were part of a prisoner swap with China. In exchange for these three individuals, the U.S. secured the release of three Americans detained in China: Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung. While bringing Americans home is a noble goal, one has to wonder about the message this sends. Releasing a child porn convict and two spies who compromised American security doesn’t exactly scream “strong leadership.” It screams “desperate bargaining.”
But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. Biden’s Thursday clemency spree isn’t just about Hunter or these three Chinese nationals. It’s about shaping a legacy—or at least trying to. With his administration marred by economic turmoil, foreign policy missteps, and a rapidly declining approval rating, Biden is clearly hoping to distract the public with flashy moves. Pardon 39 people, commute 1,500 sentences, and maybe, just maybe, the American people will forget about skyrocketing inflation, porous borders, and a war in Ukraine that shows no signs of ending.
The problem for Biden is that Americans aren’t as distracted as he thinks. Hunter’s pardon is a blatant act of nepotism, and the inclusion of Chinese nationals with criminal convictions in a prisoner swap feels like another example of Biden kowtowing to Beijing. Pair that with a clemency spree that’s bound to include its fair share of questionable decisions, and you’ve got a recipe for outrage.
So, as Joe Biden clears out his desk in the Oval Office, he’s leaving behind a trail of controversy, broken promises, and decisions that make you wonder whose interests he’s really serving. Americans have every reason to be skeptical, and if this is Biden’s idea of a swan song, it’s more of a sour note than a triumphant finale. One thing is for sure: the Hunter pardon and this clemency spree will leave plenty for Republicans to talk about—and not in a way that benefits the Biden legacy.
